The Wells pawpaw is a hybrid of the common pawpaw tree in the Annonaceae family that was collected from the wild in Salem, Indiana by David Wells in 1990. The tree reaches 15 to 20 feet tall and is not self-fertile so another variety will need to be planted nearby. Plant in sun to partial shade in fertile, well-drained soil. See this NC State article for more information on growing pawpaws. 'Wells blooms in spring and produces fruit in mid to late September. The fruit is green with orange flesh that has a creamy texture and a deliciously fruity hint of bananas. Pawpaw does well in naturalized, riparian, or woodland areas. It is a flowering tree that attracts butterflies, pollinators, small mammals, and songbirds, which makes pawpaw a good addition to a butterfly, pollinator, or rain garden. It is an easy-to-grow fruit tree for children's gardens . Quick ID Hints: Leaves produce a distinctive odor when crushed (similar to green bell peppers). Leaves large, alternate and distichous; they turn yellow in fall. Bark is smooth with wart-like lenticels Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. The pawpaw peduncle borer ( Talponia plummeriana ) is a small moth whose larvae burrow into flower stalks. They can destroy large numbers of flowers. This pest is in NC. Trees can produce root suckers, which can be troublesome in the landscape. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Asimina triloba .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheAsimina triloba 'Davis'Asimina triloba 'Wilson'Pyrus communis 'Shin Li'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Alternate, simple, obovate to oblong 6-12 inches long 2-3 inches wide with a green pepper odor when crushed. The leaves are in two ranks and hang pendulously from the stem. The leaf underside is pale and glaucous.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Brown/Copper; Purple/Lavender
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Perfect (but self-incompatible). The burgundy flowers bloom in spring but are not showy. They are purplish brown with 6 petals and are 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter. They have a foul odor as they are pollinated by flies.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Green
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is green with orange flesh that has a creamy texture and a deliciously fruity hint of bananas. Matures mid to late September.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Smooth, brown splotched with wart-like lenticels. Becomes fissured and scaly with age.
Stem detail
Buds are pubescent with no scales. Young buds and stems are cinnamon brown.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Its flowers are pollinated by flies and beetles. Its fleshy fruits are eaten by songbirds, wild turkeys, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, black bears, and foxes. Pawpaws are larval host plants for the Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus).
Attracts
Butterflies; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
#edible garden #children's garden #understory tree #pollinator garden #deciduous tree #edible fruit #spring flowers #host plant #fall fruit #bird friendly #fruit tree #food source soft mast fruit #butterfly friendly
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Contact Dermatitis
Resistant to
Heat; Humidity
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
Stomach and intestinal pain from eating the fruit skin or seeds. Skin irritation from handling fruit. Do not consume leaves or stems.